


Don't Follow Me - A Resident Evil Short

by BGShepard



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 15:18:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2433509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BGShepard/pseuds/BGShepard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set 9 months after the events of Resident Evil 6, Leon S. Kennedy finds himself in pursuit of his love interest, Ada Wong - the spy who has stolen one of the last samples of the unstable T-Veronica Virus.  How far is each willing to go to complete their mission?  What will happen if they get in each other's way?</p><p>This work serves as a bridge between Resident Evil 6 and my multi-chapter fan fiction, Resident Evil: Vengeance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Leon

**Rail Yard District – Washington, DC**  
 **August 23rd 2013**  
 **23:45 EST  
  
  
**     “Hunnigan, do you have eyes on?”  Leon asked as he ran for the end of the street.  
  
    “Tracking her right now, Leon,” Ingrid Hunnigan replied over the radio.  “Satellite imaging shows she’s on foot heading east on Stambaugh Avenue and… wait!  Suspect has just entered Tully’s Construction Warehouse.”  
  
    Helena Harper’s voice cut in.  “That’s only three blocks from where my team and I are located.  We’ll move in and secure…”  
  
    Leon had already calculated the distance to this warehouse – he was the closest.  
  
    “I’m less than a block away.  I’ll move in to intercept the suspect while Helena’s team provides backup.”  
  
    “Leon, no!   Wait for us before moving in!”  Helena replied.  
  
    He could hear the worry in her voice and understood why.  While there may have been no intel as to the suspect’s identity, everything that had happened tonight fit the profile of one highly-experienced spy – a spy that both of them knew.  A sudden wave of hesitation caused a flicker of doubt in his mind.  That was when he pictured her lovely face… and the smile she would give just for him…  Shaking his head, Leon brushed it aside.  He had to focus on the mission.  Despite having a personal stake in this chase, he knew that it was up to him to stop her.  
  
    “There’s no time, Helena.  I’m in charge of the ground operation.  Just be ready to back me up once you get there.”  
  
    Hunnigan’s voice broke through the chatter.  “Leon, this is **_your_** mission.  Get in there and apprehend the suspect.  Helena’s team will provide support.”  
  
    “Helena?”    
  
    This was something he hadn’t wanted to do – pulling rank on partner.  Last month in Lanshiang had seen the two of them gel together; forming a cohesive and unbreakable unit during their mission to bring down Derek Simmons.  That bond quickly led to a close friendship.  They were effective agents in their own right, but if this mission was going to succeed then both of them needed to be on the same page.  
  
    After a moment of silence, she responded.  “Roger that – we’re on our way.  Just… be careful, Leon.”  
  
    “I will,” he replied.  “Let me know when you arrive on site.”  
  
    “A final reminder to all teams,” Hunnigan began.  “The suspect is in possession of the T-Veronica virus.  Take extreme care to make sure the sample is not ruptured or damaged in any way.  We just finished defusing the Lanshiang and Tall Oaks bio-terrorist attacks; we can’t afford another incident right here in DC.”  
  
    After all acknowledgements had been made, Leon turned right at the corner and sprinted down Stambaugh Avenue.  The warehouse sat nearly one hundred yards away right next to the railroad tracks.  Running down an embankment, he made his way past the parking lot and up the steps leading to a side entrance.  He went to the door and noticed that the lock had been forced.   ** _She_** had passed through here.  
  
    Turning on the flashlight to his Beretta, his hand went to the knob.  With a deep breath, he pushed open the door and stepped inside the building.  A few of the overhead lights were still on, but for the most part the warehouse was dark… and quiet.  Where had she gone?  
  
    “Hunnigan, Helena; I’ve made my way inside the warehouse,” he whispered.  “No sign of the suspect yet, but she definitely passed through here.”  
  
    “Copy that, we’ll be there in five minutes… if we don’t get held up behind another damned train barricade!”  Helena replied with growing frustration in her voice.  
  
    Just then, Leon heard the loud horn of a train in the distance.  
  
    “Hunnigan, how many trains are making their way through this district?”  
  
    “This is the busiest time of night, Leon,” came her reply.  “Most of the businesses in that area don’t keep hours after 11 P.M. as a result.  Helena’s team is currently held up behind one on Spruce Street.  If you can… bzzztzzz…”  
  
    Static began to disrupt communications.  Leon’s hand went to his earpiece.  “Hunnigan, repeat your last!”  
  
    It was too late.  The loud horn was deafening as the train passed by the building.  The entire structure began to rumble as if in the throes of an earthquake; causing the few lights above to flicker.  The horn erupted again.  
  
    _That sound… so familiar…_  
  
    This time the noise seemed to echo inside his head; outside, the lights of the train flashed through the windows of the building.  For the past two months, Leon had been taking great efforts to suppress the emotional tempest that was brewing within him.  After everything he’d been through, the images of Tall Oaks and Lanshiang were now beginning to flood him.  Flashing past his eyes, each one was a snapshot of the pain he carried… the pain he couldn’t wash away.  
  
    _President Benford lying in a pool of blood… The smoking pistol in his hand…  The subway tunnel… Helena screaming to her sister… The corpses… The train…_  
  
    The images were overwhelming; tearing into his mind with the brutal force that they carried.  He winced at the raw emotions flooding him – fear, anger, hate… defeat.  With that, he closed his eyes.  They were coming faster now; drowning out all other thoughts.  
  
    _Simmons… Ada… The train… The sky bridge… Dangling… Do you… want to… live?_  
  
    Leon gasped as his free hand went to his forehead; his skin goose-prickling.  
  
    He hadn’t told anyone, but for three days after escaping from Lanshiang he hadn’t slept at all.  It wasn’t until he and Helena had made it back to the States when the nightmares had begun; nightmares that continued to plague his dreams with dread.  There had been so many times that he should have died, but hadn’t.  Back then he’d been able to compartmentalize all of it, but now the current situation wasn’t making this any easier.  The horn sounded again.  
  
    _The train…_  
  
    That was when Leon noticed his breathing was rapid.  It had been subtle at first to where he hadn’t paid it any mind, but now he was panting for breath.  He then felt something drip just below his eye.  Reaching up with the back of his hand, his brow was drenched in sweat.  
  
    _No, it was just from the run here, that’s all.  Once I find her I can…_  
  
    The sound was almost indistinguishable from the roar of the train, but he had heard it.  It was a deep… almost primordial growl – one that began to make his skin goose-prickle once again.  His whole body stiffened before he forced himself to slowly turn around.  Aiming his gun towards the source, his eyes went wide with shock… and terror!  
  
    **_It_** was standing there amidst the flickering of the lights.  The creature’s body was in the shape of the long dinosaur-like monstrosity that **_he_** had mutated into back in China.  Leon could see not only the saliva ooze from the snarling creature’s face but also the hate and malice in its eyes.  With a roar, the hideous mutation charged straight at him – teeth razor sharp gnawing for his flesh!  
  
    **_“LEEEOOON!”_** it screamed in a warped, unearthly voice – the voice of a dead man.  
  
    He was paralyzed at what he was seeing and quickly closed his eyes.   _No – he’s dead!  Simmons is dead!  There’s… there’s nothing there!_  
  
    Then everything went silent.  When he opened his eyes, he saw that the area had grown quiet once more.  The lights above had stopped swinging; revealing the truth that deep down he had known – Simmons wasn’t there.  Nothing was coming for him.   
    Leon took a deep breath to calm his beating heart.  
  
    _What the hell was that?_ he thought to himself.   _What did I just see?_  
  
    Before he could dwell on it, there was a sudden sound of metal hitting the floor.  He then heard the distinct echo of heeled shoes running in the distance.  Readjusting, he quickly turned and caught a flash of red in the beam of his flashlight.   ** _She_** was wearing red.  
  
    “Ada?” he called out before continuing his pursuit.  “Ada, wait!”  
  
    In the far distance he could hear her voice call out to him.  “Don’t follow me, Leon.”  
  
    Her words sounded like a warning; something Leon wasn’t sure what to make of.  If only he could find out what was going on here.  To his chagrin, Ada hadn’t attempted to contact him at all after their battle in China.  But why she would go from helping him then to now stealing a dangerous and unstable virus was beyond anything he could fathom.  What if her intent was to sell it on the black market?  No, he couldn’t allow that to happen.  Regardless of his feelings for her, it was up to him.   ** _He_** had to stop her.  
  
   Moving as quickly as he could, Leon found his way toward the back of the building.  He immediately took in his surroundings and noticed that the maintenance door was ajar.  With gun in hand, he kicked it open.  There was nothing inside save an open hatch.  Peering down, he noticed that the passageway seemed to connect to the tunnels below.  
  
    “Okay… looks like I’m heading down,” he said.  
  
    Ada was now moving underground.  It was a smart move all things considered.  She’d be out of sight of their satellite surveillance; giving her a chance to put some distance between herself and his team.  There was no choice.  Leon knew that if he wanted to catch up with her, then he’d have to follow her down.  
  
    “Hunnigan, Helena; the suspect is moving underground through the maintenance tunnels.  I’m in pursuit.  Copy?”  
  
    “Bzzzt… Leon… bzzzzzt…”  
  
    He was getting nothing but static.  Somehow his communications were being jammed.  Without any contact with his team, they’d have no way of knowing which direction he was heading in.    
  
    There wasn’t time to think of another way.  Going to he knees, Leon grabbed the ladder and set his feet.  The whole thing felt loose – like it hadn’t been used in years.  He would need to be careful.   In the distance, another train was on approach.  Vibrations once again shook the floor… and the ladder he was holding onto.  Suddenly, the bolts came loose and he began to tilt.  
  
    “Oh shit…!” he gasped.  
  
    Frantically reaching out with his left hand, Leon managed to grab a hold of the opening with his fingers.  Hanging there, he looked down and saw the ladder land roughly twenty feet below him.  His situation soon became dire as the vibrations from the train began causing his fingers to slip.  Swinging himself upwards, he secured both of his hands.  
  
    That was when he felt a crushing pain in his left hand.  With a grunt, he looked up… and his eyes widened in a familiar sense of fear.   ** _He_** was standing there with his shoe pressing down on his fingers.  His face and body were covered in blood.  The well-groomed beard he had always maintained was matted with pink-hued saliva.  The man’s dead eyes were staring coldly into his own.  
  
    Leon found his voice.  “Simmons!”  
  
    Derek Simmons looked down at him and immediately kicked his right hand off the ledge.  “Do you want to live?”  he growled.  “Then beg!   ** _BEG FOR YOUR LIFE!_** ”  
  
    “No…” he gasped as he tried to secure his grip.  
  
    This couldn’t be happening.  Simmons was dead!  How in the hell was he here?  Reaching up to grab the ledge with his right hand, his adversary once again kicked it away.  The foot that rested on his left hand began to press down and crush his fingers.  
  
    “No… you’re dead!  We killed you!”  
  
    He watched in horror as Simmons lifted up his foot.  With a final stomp, Leon felt his fingers slip.  He was falling… falling toward the streets of Lanshiang and there would be no stopping his descent.  His attacker smiled down at him.  
  
    “She’s mine, Leon!   ** _ALL MINE!_** ”  
  
    Without warning, his body landed hard on the cement base below; knocking the wind out of him.  After laying there for a moment to catch his breath, his senses began to return.  That was when he realized that he was lying at the bottom of the maintenance tunnel.  
  
    Quickly reaching for his gun, he aimed toward the empty shaft opening.  Simmons was gone.  At that moment, his heart was beating so hard it felt as if it would burst from his chest.  Soon, disorientation began to take hold of him.  Thoughts of China and Tall Oaks were once again preying on his conscience.  
  
    _Lanshiang…_ he thought to himself.  No… this wasn’t China.  That was when he remembered why he was down here… and who he was chasing after.  
  
    “Ada…” he said at last as he struggled to get to his feet.  He was chasing after Ada Wong.  She was down here with the virus.  
  
    There wasn’t time for him to have a mental breakdown.  Whatever was happening to him, he’d have to put it on hold and deal with it later.  Right now he had to stay focused and find her before it was too late.  
  
    Pulling the second Beretta from his holster, he began to follow the dimly-lit passage.  As he did, his headset continued to buzz with static.  Perhaps Ada was carrying a portable jamming device with her?  It was the only explanation he could come up with.  That was when he quickly formulated a plan.  If he could follow the pitch of the static, perhaps it would lead him to her.  It was a long shot, but he had no other options.  Unless he shut down the device, he would be unable to get in contact with his team.  
  
    As Leon ventured on, he was becoming acutely aware of how much he missed Hunnigan at this moment.  She would have been able to pinpoint his exact position on the city’s schematics.  With communications jammed, he was flying blind.  As a result, he wasn’t sure how far this tunnel stretched or even how long he’d been following it.   _Damn it!_  This search was quickly turning into a hunt for a needle in a haystack.  Here he was… alone with no backup, and he had no idea which way Ada had gone.  The continued garble of static was the only company left to him along with his thoughts – and those he could do without.  
  
    _Simmons… What was he doing here?_  
  
    No, he couldn’t think about that.  He had to keep his mind on the mission – he **_had_** to find Ada.    
  
    _Now, where would I go if I was trying to escape from underground?_  
  
    Taking a moment, Leon scanned the walls with his flashlight.  The beam soon rested upon large white letters – SURFACE ACCESS.  The arrow was pointing further down the tunnel.  
  
    “Bingo,” he whispered and began picking up momentum.  
  
    Up ahead, Leon noticed that the tunnel joined into another and formed a “T” intersection.  As he carefully ventured left, almost immediately the white noise in his earpiece grew to an ear-splitting volume.  After pulling it from his ear, he quickly scanned the area.  Further up near a junction box he saw a small metallic object with a blinking red light and an antenna attached to it.   ** _This_** was the jamming device!  
  
     Throwing it to the ground, Leon brought down his shoe and smashed the jammer.  Just as quick, his earpiece came to life with Helena’s voice.  
  
    “Repeat!  Leon, where are you?  Come on, please answer me!”  
  
    “Helena?” he replied.  
  
    “Leon?  Oh, thank God!” she responded in relief.  “We’re at the warehouse now.  What’s your location?”  
  
    “I’m in a maintenance tunnel that connects to the back of the warehouse.  There was…”  
  
    His voice trailed off when he heard the object hit the ground and roll.  He knew exactly what it was – a grenade!  Suddenly, the whole tunnel exploded with bright light.  There hadn’t been enough time for him to shield his eyes and now he couldn’t see… or hear.  The ringing was intense, causing his balance to shift as he stumbled.   _A flash bang…_  
  
    Without warning, a stinging blow took him to the back of the head; knocking him to his knees.  Leon fought desperately to regain his vision, but everything was still a blur… until he saw a red shape approaching him.  He tried to raise his left hand, but his movements were slow and clumsy.  A sharp kick landed into his wrist, knocking the gun away.  
  
     Soon the disorientation from the blast began to subside.  As his vision returned to him, Leon quickly felt the cold kiss of steel against his temple.  Looking from the corner of his eye he saw the stiletto heels and then her beautiful legs wrapped in the silky fabric of the red evening dress.  
  
    “Keep your hands where I can see them and stand up.  Now!”  
  
    Given his compromised position, Leon did as she ordered.  Once he stood up, she took the second Beretta from his right hand.  He then heard the sound of the clip hitting the ground before she tossed the gun aside.  
  
    “Damn you, Leon!”  Ada said in irritation.  “I told you not to follow me!”  
  
    The frustration in her voice was directed at him.  Whatever she had planned on doing next, he was obviously making it more difficult for her.  As a result, she’d set this ambush for him.  Turning his head, he leveled his gaze at her before something in the distance caught his attention.  Behind her, Leon could see the case containing the T-Veronica virus sitting on the ground.    
  
    “You stole a highly volatile bio weapon, Ada,” he said as his attention shifted back to her.  “Did you really think I was going to sit on my hands and let you walk away with it?”  
  
    With her Sig still pressed against the side of his head, he watched as her brow furrowed.  Still, even in that moment his heart began to ache.  It had only been a month since he’d last seen her, but the longing always felt worse when they parted company.  He couldn’t help but marvel at how absolutely gorgeous she looked in that dress – a fine compliment to any man lucky enough to have her.  How many times throughout the years had he wished it would be him?  
  
    “I didn’t want you to get involved here,” she replied.  “There’s more going on than you realize.”  
  
    “Well, I **_am_** involved.”  He then looked at her gun.  “Perhaps you can help me understand – like why you want to sell this virus?”  
  
    Her expression suddenly went cold.  Ada responded by pressing the barrel even harder against his skull.  It was enough to make him wince.    
  
    “Ada…?”  In that brief moment, he suddenly became concerned about her intentions.  
  
    “Tell me this, Leon,” she hissed in a voice of pure ice – a voice that he didn’t recognize.  “Since you’re so convinced that I’m going to sell this virus, why shouldn’t I just squeeze this trigger right now and empty your brains all over the walls?”  
  
    The way she had asked that question made his skin crawl.   _What in God’s name…?  Ada?_  
  
    Leon stole a glace at the Asian spy and felt pure dread crawling through his veins.  The cold stare she was giving him was both indifferent and emotionless.  As a tingle rolled down his back, he realized that this wasn’t the flirtatious vixen that he had been accustomed to seeing in the past.  No… this was her _“other”_ half that she’d hidden from him – the cold, calculating half.  This was the part of her that was both spy and assassin… and all deadly.  In that moment, he knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if he tried anything clever.  His life was on the line with his response.  
  
    “I… I can’t believe that you’d kill me, Ada.  I know you.  You care about me,” he replied as calmly as he could while maintaining eye contact.  If she was going to kill him, then he was going to make damn sure that she looked him in the eyes as she did.  
  
    “You told me something once that stuck with me all these years,” he continued.  “You said that you were always looking out for me… always.  Do you remember that?”  
  
    For a brief moment, Leon could have sworn he saw a moment of hesitation flicker across her face before her eyes narrowed at him.  She wasn’t going to respond – she was waiting on him.  
  
    “You’ve had plenty of opportunities to kill me before, but you continued to watch out for me… to save me when I needed your help.  You care about me, Ada, because if you didn’t…”  He paused; unsure if he should say the rest.  But as she watched him with that dead stare, he knew that he had to play all the cards left in his hand.  “Because if you didn’t… you never would have come to me that night.”  
  
    She cocked her head and looked at him silently for a moment as if considering all that he had said.  Then she spoke in that same indifferent voice.  
  
    “I’ve had many men before you, Leon.  What makes you think you’re any different from them?”  
  
    What did she want from him?  Leon didn’t know nor did he understand what she was hoping to accomplish.  Was she looking for him to provide a specific answer to her question?  What if he didn’t manage to do that?  Was she planning on following through with her threat to execute him?  The cold dampness of sweat was once again forming on his brow as he stared back at her; looking for answers.  He’d never seen her this cold toward him before, but he knew that if he was going to make it out of this then he had to be honest.  He had never lied to her before, and he knew that she would accept nothing less than the truth from him now.  
  
    “I’m different because I also care about you too, Ada Wong.  I care about **_you_**.  I’ve fought beside you when we survived Raccoon City together.  I’ve had your back when together we faced the horrors that Umbrella and Saddler unleashed along with those from Simmons and Carla… all because I care about **_you_**.”  
  
    “But if that’s not enough…” he said with a gentle sigh, “… then you go ahead and pull that trigger because I am **_not_** going to fight you.”  
  
    She was silent for a moment.  “And if I made you beg to save your life?”  
  
    He grimaced at those words.  Soon his mind pictured Simmons’ face looking down at him.   _“Do you want to live?  Then beg! **BEG FOR YOUR LIFE!”**_  
  
    That was when he felt his resolve steel itself.  Looking into her eyes, he responded with conviction.   “I didn’t beg Simmons for his mercy, and I sure as hell am not going to beg you!  The Ada Wong I know would never demand that of me!”  
  
    He felt his anger growing with each passing minute.  He wanted this to be over.  If she was going to shoot him, then he wanted her to get on with it.  Better **_she_** be the one to do it because he knew that he’d never be able to bring himself to do the same.  
  
    Instead of the loud discharge he was expecting, Ada gently removed the gun from his head and took a step back.  
  
    “You’re right, Leon.  I wouldn’t do that to you.”  Her Sig remained pointed at him but now she was smiling – a smile from the Ada he knew… and cared for.  “Another moment of truth between us, Leon – thank you,” she cooed.  “The world would lose a noble and honest man if I were to kill you.  I know I’d lose sleep over that.”  
  
    While he was relieved to hear that she wasn’t going to shoot him, Leon was still uneasy as to why she was keeping her weapon trained on him.  “You could have fooled me.  But if you’re not going to shoot me, then why keep me under your gun?”  
  
    “Because I want you to fully understand my resolve in this matter, Leon.  I want you to know how far I’m willing to go.”  
  
    His eyes went from the gun to her.  “Then help me understand, Ada.  What’s going on?  Why did you steal this virus?”  
  
    “Don’t worry, I’m not going to sell it,” she replied with a grin.  “I’m simply using it as a bargaining chip.  That’s all.”  
  
    “A bargaining chip?”  he asked.  “For what?”  
  
    Ada smiled at him fully.  “For life.”  
  
    _For life?_  What was she talking about?  Did she steal the T-Veronica virus because someone was out to kill her?  If that was the case…  
  
    “Ada,” he said, “if you’re in trouble, I can protect you.  Let me help.”  
  
    A soft chuckle escaped her.  “Leon,” she said.  “It’s not my life I’m speaking of… it’s yours.”  
  
    “What?” he asked in surprise.  “What do you mean?”  
  
    **_“LEON!”_**  Helena’s voice was calling out from the tunnels behind him.  
  
    “Helena?”  Leon turned his head toward his partner’s voice.  As soon as he did however, he heard the sound of heels echoing in the opposite direction.  
  
    “Ada, wait!” he called after her, but it was too late.  She turned left at the end of the corridor and was gone.  “Damn it!”  
  
    What had she meant by **_his_** life?  Was someone out to kill him?  He didn’t know what to make of any of that and any chance at finding further answers was gone.  
  
    “Leon!?”  Helena’s voice called to him once more.  
  
     “I’m here, Helena,” he replied as he leaned back against the wall and rubbed the bruise on his head.  
  
    Out from the adjoining tunnel came his partner and three D.S.O. agents.  When her eyes caught his, Helena immediately ran to him.  
  
    “Leon!  Oh my God!  Are you all right?” she asked before placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
    “I’m fine,” he heard himself mutter.  “She got the drop on me and took off further down the tunnel.”  He pointed in the direction Ada had run.  
  
    “We might still be able to apprehend her,” said Agent Martinez. “Which direction was she heading, sir?”  
  
    “Down that corridor; she went right.”  
  
    Leon felt himself grimace.  He was crossing a dangerous line here.  It was one thing to let Ada run off, but it was quite another to willfully lie to his teammates to facilitate her escape.  That was border-line treason.  Still, he believed what she had told him about there being a threat to his life.  The woman was taking a great personal risk in an effort to help him.  What could he say about himself if he didn’t do the same?  
  
    “Okay.  Martinez,” Helena said, “take Becker and Henderson with you and recon that tunnel.  I’m going to see to it that Agent Kennedy makes it back to medical.  Keep in contact with us and Agent Hunnigan so that she can update your PDA.”  
  
    “On it,” Martinez replied.  
  
    After the three agents had headed off, Helena looked back at him.  “You sure you’re okay?”  
  
    “I’m fine, Helena, really,” he replied.  “My ears are ringing a bit but that’s all.”  
  
    “There’s an ambulance back at the warehouse.  Let’s get you checked out,” she said gently.  
  
    With Helena by his side, the two of them retraced their steps back the way they had come.  His mind kept returning to Ada and what she had told him.  What was going on here?  Who was out to kill him?   When he got back to HQ, he’d have to do some research into this development.  Right now, he just hoped that she’d make the most of the head start he’d given her.  The D.S.O. and the DC police would be shutting down half the city in an effort to apprehend her.  She didn’t have much time.  
  
    _Be safe, Ada._  
  
    Leon was pulled from his thoughts when he heard footsteps beside him.  He’d nearly forgotten Helena was there.  That was when he had a feeling she was watching him closely.  Looking over at her, he confirmed his suspicions.  Her brow was slightly furrowed as she stared back at him.  He stopped.  
  
    “Is everything alright?” he asked.  
  
    Helena turned to face him fully but for the moment continued to silently stare.  Her eyes seemed to be searching his for answers to unspoken questions.  
  
    “You tell me, Leon,” she said coolly.  “What really happened back there?”  
  
    Immediately, he felt his skin goose-prickle and was unsure how to respond.  Did she already know what he’d done, or was she fishing for answers?  
  
    “What do you mean?”  
  
    “Our suspect was a woman in a red dress.  She managed to infiltrate a formal government meet-and-greet at Kassah Pharmaceuticals and then made off with one of the last samples of the T-Veronica virus.”  Helena let the words hang there for a moment.  “That was Ada Wong… wasn’t it, Leon?”  
  
    Closing his eyes, he let out a defeated sigh.  There was no point in lying to her any further.  
  
    “Yes… it was.”  
  
    “It seems a bit strange to me that all she did was disarm you and make her escape.  Given your history, I would think that you of all people would have at least tried to speak with her.  Maybe even try to reason with her?”  
  
    “What are you asking me, Helena?”  
  
    Just then their earpieces came to life with Martinez’s voice.  “Agent Kennedy; Agent Harper.”  
  
    Helena went to her earpiece, but her eyes remained fixed on his as she did so.  “Go ahead, Martinez.”  
  
    “The maintenance tunnel on the east side ends at a rail hub beneath Pine Street.  The lock is still on the door, and it doesn’t look like it’s been used for years.  I don’t think the suspect came this way, ma’am.”  
  
    Helena’s eyes quickly turned cold as she stared back at him.   _Shit!  She knows!_  
  
    “Copy, Martinez,” she replied.  “Make your way to the surface and coordinate with Hunnigan and the DC Police.  Determine all of the locations the suspect could have made an exit to the west of your position.  I’m going to check out another tunnel down here and then meet up with you.”  
  
    When she let go of her earpiece, Helena’s eyes were full of rage.  
  
    “Helena… wait,” Leon said as he held out his hand.  
  
    “What did you do, Leon!?” she hissed.  Grabbing him by the shirt, she slammed him back against the tunnel wall and screamed, **_“WHAT IN THE HELL DID YOU DO!?”_**  
  
    For a moment he was at a loss for words.  He had willfully lied; both to his partner and the men under his command to protect a wanted spy.  Worse, Helena was furious with him for his betrayal.  Now he feared that he would never be able to explain why he had done it.  Even if he did tell her… would she believe him?  How would he react if he was in her position?  
  
    “Helena… please.  Listen to me…”  
  
    “You lied to me, Leon!” she yelled before hitting his chest with her fists.  “I’m your partner!  I trusted you, and you lied to me!  Ada didn’t go right, did she?   ** _DID SHE!?_**  Goddamnit, Leon!  Why are you protecting her!?”  
  
    He grabbed her wrists to stop her assault.  Ada had already kicked his ass once tonight, and he didn’t relish the thought of getting into a fistfight with Helena.  
  
    “Listen to me!” he said forcefully.  “I know what I’ve done, but Ada also told me why she stole the virus.  She’s using it as a bargaining chip to save someone’s life.”  
  
    Helena stopped struggling.  “Who?” she asked.  
  
    He wasn’t sure how she would receive this, but he had no other choice.  If he wanted to make his partner believe him, then he had to tell her everything.  
  
    “Me,” he replied.  “Somehow she must have found out that there was a hit taken out on me.”  
  
    Helena cocked her head and stared back at him as if he had just said the dumbest thing she had ever heard.  
  
    Pushing herself from his grasp, she yelled, “Leon!   ** _SHE – IS – MANIPULATING – YOU!_** And what’s worse, you don’t even see it, do you!?”  
  
    For a moment Leon was dumbfounded.  That was a possibility he hadn’t considered.  Could Ada have lied to him?  Despite her holding a gun to his head, he clearly remembered the look in her eyes.  While they had been cold, there had also been a sense of desperation as well.  No, she’d been telling him the truth.  He believed her.  
  
    “No…”  He shook his head.  “No, I don’t believe that.  I saw it in her eyes, Helena.  With everything she and I have been through together I… I trust her.”  
  
    “You trust her?”  He could hear the thin veil of sarcasm in her voice.  “Why?  Because she’s **_sleeping_** with you!?”  
  
    The words were like a slap right across his face.  Leon was at a loss as he stared back at her with his mouth agape.  Helena was furious – that much he could already see from her expression.  However despite her outburst, he could also sense that she hadn’t meant to say that.  It was something she had said off the cuff out of anger… and jealousy.  
  
    Ever since their escape from Lanshiang, he knew that the two of them had formed a tight bond.  Helena liked him – both as a friend… and something more.  And the truth was that he liked her as well… as a friend.  That was where his feelings had ended, though.  Ada however… she was someone different – someone **_he_** desired.  
  
    Despite everything they had been through, he had never told Helena about his feelings for the Asian spy.  Still, somehow he sensed that the beautiful brunette standing before him already knew the truth.  He would always turn to Ada before he would ever turn to her.  Leon wasn’t sure if that was a blessing… or a curse.  
  
    Helena was a good woman.  She was strong, intelligent… and she didn’t take shit from anyone – including him.  And she wasn’t afraid to fight for what she believed in or who she cared about.  He had realized that about her when she had led him to Tall Oaks Cathedral in search of her sister.  She was such a good friend, but in the end that was all he thought of her as.  He realized now that she wanted more from him and that some of this anger she held was because of his continued desire for Ada.  
  
    _Helena…_ A deep regret was tearing at him now.  
  
    Turning her back to him, Helena crossed her arms and lowered her head.  While her posture still held her ire, for the moment she was silent.  
  
    “Helena…”  
  
    “I’m sorry, Leon,” she replied in a softer tone before he could say anything further.  “I… I shouldn’t have said that.  That was cruel.”  
  
    Standing behind her, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders.  Tension greeted his touch, but after a moment he felt her relax.   He had to salvage this situation.  If he lost Helena’s trust…  
  
    “You’re angry with me and for good reason.  It’s alright… I deserved that.”  
  
    His partner let out a deep sigh before turning around to face him.  “No, it’s more than that, Leon.  I’ve never been one to trust men easily.  A lot of that was because of what I saw happen with Deborah’s relationships.  When you and I first met in Tall Oaks, I didn’t trust you either – but I needed your help.”  
  
    “So what changed?” he asked.  
  
    “ ** _You_** were the one that changed **_me_**.  You followed me without question and had my back when we finally found my sister.  When she died, you helped me take down Simmons and clear my name instead of just turning me in.  It was because of everything you did for me that I began to trust you, Leon.  But now…”  
  
    “Helena,” he interrupted gently, “you know that it wasn’t just me that helped you defeat Simmons.  Ada…”  
  
    “Ada helped us, too.”  She finished the sentence for him.  “I know, and I owe her for saving our lives on the climb up that skyscraper.  But Leon… she stole a highly volatile virus.  How do you know that she’s not going to just sell it?”  
  
    “I trust her, Helena.”  There was no hesitation in his response.  “If she’s telling me that my life is in danger, then I believe her.  I wouldn’t have let her go otherwise.  I need you to trust me on this.  Please.”  
  
    Helena looked at him and then suddenly smiled.  “She really has her hooks into you, doesn’t she?”  
  
    “What do you mean?”  
  
    “You never did answer my question when I asked if you had feelings for her.  I guess I should ask you this – do you love her?”  
  
    It was a direct question he wasn’t prepared for.  Did he **_love_** Ada Wong?  Ever since they had met back in Raccoon, there had been something about the woman that had drawn him to her.  Was it her strength… her beauty… her will?  It was hard to pick just one quality.  
  
    Initially, she’d been distant towards him – almost as if she had viewed him more as a hindrance.  Somehow he’d known that she hadn’t needed his help… but he had wanted to provide it regardless.  And after a while he had won her over; so much so that she had sacrificed herself to save him.  How much had his heart broken at her loss?  
  
    Yet, she hadn’t died as he feared.  Seeing her again in Span all those years later…  Her coming to him for their first time in Paris… Their secret rendezvous…  Was it all about the sex each time they were together, or was there something more dwelling beneath the surface?   ** _Could_** there be something more with a woman like Ada?  He didn’t know the answer to that question.  What he did know was that each time they parted, his heart ached in a way it never had before.  His feelings… he couldn’t put them into words.  
  
    “It’s… complicated.” he replied.  It was a weak answer, and he knew it.  
  
    She smiled.  “Yes… I’m sure it is – a spy and a government agent.  I just hope one day soon Ada realizes how lucky she is.  I had hoped that maybe I…”  Her face suddenly fell as she looked down; she let the sentence trail off.  
  
    Placing his hands on her cheeks, Leon gently turned her gaze upwards so that he could look into her eyes.  “Helena, you are a good woman and a good friend.  I’ve had precious few of them in my life whom I could count on.  
  
    “I’ve known Ada for a long time,” he continued.  “It’s always been her.  Even if I can’t have her fully in my life, it will **_always_** be her.  Sometimes we aren’t given a choice when our heart decides for us.”  
  
    Her hands soon came up and gently rested over top of his.  “You’re right, Leon.  I understand more than you know.  Thank you for being honest with me about this.”  
  
    “I won’t lie to you again, Helena.  I promise.”  
  
    A sad smile formed on her lips.  As he stared into her determined brown eyes, he could already see the tears that were welling within them.  He hated hurting her like this; hated it like nothing else.  She was a friend, and that type of relationship was precious.  
  
    In that moment, however, he noticed something else happening between them.  It had begun slowly at first, but he soon noticed that their faces were moving closer together.  Her lips were right next to his; their eyes fixed on each others.  They were so close.  What if…?  
  
    Leon turned away.  “We… we should head back.”  
  
    “Umm… yeah… you’re right… we should,” she quickly responded.  
  
    “We need to get topside and check in with Hunnigan to get an update on the search.”  
  
    “ ** _‘We’re’_** not doing anything, Leon.  You’re going to get checked out at the hospital while **_I_** sort out what’s happening with this operation.”  Helena turned and led the way.  She was going to cover for him.  
  
    “Helena…”  She stopped and turned to face him.  “Thank you.  I owe you for this.”  
  
    Another smile greeted him.  “No, Leon, you don’t.  We’re partners.  I’ve got your back.  Just… don’t make me regret this.”  
  
    He returned the smile.  Helena was a good friend – one of the best.  He was lucky to have her.  If circumstances had been different… well… just maybe things could have been…  
  
    Leon was quickly thrust from his thoughts when he noticed her staring at him.  There was a look of alarm in her eyes.  
  
    “Leon?  Your neck… it’s bleeding.”  
  
    Reaching behind his head, his hand went to the wound behind his right ear.  When he pulled his fingers away, he noticed the blood… but mixed within the crimson red was specks of green.    
  
    “What the hell?”


	2. Ada

**Downtown - New York City, NY**  
 **August 24th 2013**  
 **20:58 EST**  
  
      
      Standing at the window of her penthouse apartment, Ada Wong took a sip of her Chardonnay and gazed out on the bright night life of New York City.  
  
    _Such an amazing view…_ she thought to herself as she placed her free hand on the glass.  It always seemed to take her breath away each time she stayed here.  
  
    The mood was interrupted however, as the laptop behind her began its methodic beeping; signaling the call that she had been expecting.  Tying the cord of her night robe tightly around her waist, Ada then sat down at the table and slowly crossed her legs.  Rather than open the computer, she instead allowed it to continue its protest at her inaction.  After taking a long swallow from the rest of her glass, she then took a strawberry from the bowl and gently bit it in half.  As she did, a memory of what she had done to similar ones with a certain D.S.O. agent caused a smile to tug at her lips.  
  
    After letting the computer beep for over a full minute, Ada finally opened the laptop and pressed the ENTER key.  The digitally distorted face of her contact immediately appeared on her screen.  
  
    “I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to answer my call, Miss Wong.  I trust your visit to DC met with success?”  
  
    His voice was distorted as well.  Both her contacts and clients alike took great lengths to keep their anonymity.  
  
    “Yes, I have the T-Veronica virus as we agreed upon,” she replied and then proceeded to open the small metal case to offer proof.  
  
    The man paused before adding, “And Agent Kennedy’s blood sample?”  
  
    She hesitated for a moment but then produced a vial that was being kept in a vacuum-frozen container.  
  
    “I have it.  But what exactly do you need his blood for?”  
  
    “The details of our agreement do not concern you.”  
  
    Ada arched her eyebrow in response.  “I believe that it does considering I’m in possession of both the virus and Agent Kennedy’s blood sample.  It would be a shame if something unfortunate were to happen to them.”  
  
    The man on the other end of the computer went silent.  
  
    “Perhaps you should reconsider your current posture, Miss Wong.  May I remind you that it was **_you_** who contacted us for assistance?  We provided you the price for our services, and now you would haggle with us?”  He paused once more – most likely to make sure he held her full attention.  “You will provide us with both the blood sample **_and_** the virus at the agreed upon meeting place, or else we will not assist you in the rescinding of the assassination order on Agent Leon Scott Kennedy.”  
  
    Ada’s eyes narrowed at the threat.  The whole reason she had done all of this was to remove the hit on Leon’s life.  She could understand the steep price of the T-Veronica virus, but why then did her contact want his blood sample?  Something didn’t feel right about this but there were no other options available.  If she was going to protect him then this was what she had to do.  
  
    “Very well.  I’ll meet you at the drop point **_after_** I confirm that the contract has been removed.”  
  
    “We will make it happen then, Miss Wong,” he replied before adding, “However, I must say that I find it very… _odd_ that you are attempting to save the life of a government agent that has been after you for years.”  
  
    It wasn’t any of this man’s business why she wanted to save Leon, but she’d been in the game long enough to know sometimes she had to give answers to protect herself… and him.  
  
    “He saved my life in China during the Lanshiang outbreak,” she replied.  “I repay my debts.”  
  
    “Very well.  We’ll look forward to seeing you.”  
  
    The transmission ended.  With that, she leaned back and let out a deep sigh.  Gently cracking her neck, she then stood and returned to her view of the city.  
  
    _The solitary life of a spy,_ she thought with some lament.  
  
    As thrilling as the missions were, at the end of the day she was always like this – alone.  Some nights the loneliness was worse than others.  Tonight was one of those nights.  What she needed right now was a man – one that she could bed down and have her way with.  Her first thoughts turned to Leon, but he was back in DC.  Most likely he would want nothing to do with her after what she’d done to him down in those tunnels.  She had attacked him, threatened him, and then left… just like she always did.  Would he even want to see her again after all of that?  
  
    She had hated to scare him, but she hadn’t seen any alternative.  If he had succeeded in stopping her, that would have meant his death.  The unfortunate irony was not lost on her.  Perhaps she’d give him a week – maybe two.  Then she could show up and give him as much cosseting as he desired to help erase that painful memory from his mind.  She held out hope that he would forgive her.  
  
    Ada let out a deep sigh.  In a few months time she’d be forty-years-old.  Even though she didn’t look a day over thirty, she began to wonder if it was all worth it anymore.  What was she truly fighting for?  Was it for the money?  She had earned plenty of that over the years – more than enough to settle down some place and live a comfortable life.  Why then was she still doing this?  The answer seemed to elude her.  Perhaps it was just her nature – an alpha female living independent in a world dominated by men.  But then why did she hate being alone at night?  Why did she find genuine joy when she was with him?  
  
    In the tunnel, Leon **_had_** been right about her.  She **_did_** care about him.  And ever since Paris she **_did_** keep coming back to him.  Of all the men she’d had in her life, she kept coming back to **_him_**.  He was such a good man, and she had believed him when he said that he cared about her, too.  She then recalled how her skin had goose-prickled at his words.  
  
    While it bothered her to even think of it, Leon **_did_** deserve better than her.  With that, she felt an unfamiliar pang of guilt.  
  
    Placing her hand on the window, she gently leaned her forehead against the pane and closed her eyes.  Letting her ears listen, she could hear the muted sounds of the city in the distance.  The cool kiss from the glass allowed her a moment of respite from her tortured thoughts.   ** _His_** face was all that she could think of right now; his face with no judgments being made against her – just the genuine desire in his eyes and the gentleness of his touch.  
  
    _I’m just a woman… who… fell in love with you.  Nothing more…”_  
  
    “Leon…” she whispered.  
  
    A smile soon creased her lips at the mention of his name.  That was when Ada knew she had her answer.  
  
    What she didn’t know was that over two hundred miles away in the nation’s capital a certain D.S.O. agent was standing at the window of his own apartment… thinking of her.  
  
   

_**The story continues in Resident Evil: Vengeance!** _


End file.
